Hungry for a taste of the real Maine? Feast upon this tasting portion of some of Maine’s best food festivals and events. (Updated May 7, 2026)
March
• Maine Restaurant Week
What: Restaurants from throughout Maine participate in this annual 10-day event. Take advantage of set-price menus and enjoy special food/drink-oriented events. Note: most participants are in Greater Portland, but each year more and more participate from other parts of the state.
When: March 1-12, 2026
Where: Various locations throughout Maine, with special events in Greater Portland
Admission: Varies by event
• Maine Maple Sunday
What: The sweetest days of the year! Maple sugar houses statewide are open for tours, tastings, and other activities.
When: March 21-22
Where: Sugar houses state wide
Admission: free; fees for specific activities and purchases
April
• Smelt Fry Dinner, Columbia Falls
What: Never tried a smelt? Here’s your opportunity. The menu at this annual community supper might include Pleasant River smelts, Maine Potato Growers potato, salad, moose stew, coleslaw, Maine-grown baked beans & DSF-grown organic blueberry cobbler; hatchery tours, music, and more.
When: April 25, 2026, 11 am-3 pm
Where: Downeast Salmon Federation
Admission: free activities; Smelt Fry $15; $10/seniors, veterans, students; $30/family 3 or larger
• Seaweed Week, statewide
What: Celebrate Maine-grown and harvested seafood with food and drink specials and events, such as seaweed field ID workshops, science cafes, and a seaweed art, film, and science expo.
When: April 24-May 3, 2026
Where: statewide
Admission: see individual events
June
• Maine Whoopie Pie Festival, Dover-Foxcroft
What: Make whoopie! More than 20 bakers from throughout Maine offer their versions of Maine’s official state treat at one of Maine’s best food festivals. Also on tap: concerts, activities, and other whoopie-themed family fun.
When: June 13, 2026, 10 am-4 pm, rain or shine
Where: Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds
Admission: $6; ages 12 and younger free
• South Berwick Strawberry Festival, South Berwick
What: Strawberry shortcake! And live music, artisans, children’s activities, and more. Dishing out the sweetest berries since 1976.
When: June 27, 2026
Where: Central Elementary School grounds, 197 Main Street.
Admission: free, fees for food and drinks
• Maine Donut Festival, Rockport
What: Two days of doughnut love, and who doesn’t love doughnuts?! According to the organizers: “Rockport is widely celebrated as the home to the creator of the donut, Captain Hanson Crockett Gregory – commemorated on a plaque in Rockport and acknowledged by the Smithsonian.” Activities include a market, race, music, parade, food trucks, beer garden, kids’ tent, and more.
When: June 12, 4-10 pm; June 13 17am-10 pm
Where: Marine Park, Rockport Harbor
Admission: free, fees for purchases
• Maine Oyster Festival, Freeport
What: Go ahead: slurp and celebrate Maine’s more than 150 oyster farms! Your world is an oyster at this festival brought to you by Visit Freeport: tastings, tours, demos, live music, kids’ activities, shucking contest, and much, much more.
When: June 27, 8 am-7 pm; June 28, 8 am- 6 pm
Where: downtown Freeport
Admission: free, tastings and specific events and activities may have a fee.
Portland Greek Festival, Portland
What: Opa! Feast on authentic Greek fare, listen to Greek music, and dance at this annual festival put on by Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. You know this church is doing something right with this festival, as 2026 is its 42nd year.
When: June 26-27, 11:30 am-9 pm; June 28, 11:30 am-8 pm
Where: 133 Pleasant St.
Admission: free; fees for food and drinks
July
• Moxie Festival, Lisbon
What: Invented as a medicine by Dr. Augustine Thompson in 1876, Moxie was guaranteed to cure such ills as paralysis, softening of the brain, and loss of manhood.” Maybe not, but it’s always worth celebrating this unusual soft drink, and this festival has been doing just that since 1982. Always the second weekend in July. Activities include parade, car show, chugging contest, whoopie pie eating contest, battle of the bands, and more.
When:July 10-12, 2026
Where: Lisbon High School
Admission: free, fees for purchases.
• St. Demetrios Greek Festival, Saco
What: Celebrate all-things Greek at this festival, which debuted in 1995. Homemade Greek food, including pastries, Greek music and dancing, a Greek market, and kids’ activities highlight this three-day weekend festival.
When: July 10-12, 2026
Where: St. Demetrios
Admission: free, fees for food and drinks
• Yarmouth Clam Festival, Yarmouth
What: Awe shucks, always the third Friday in July, always crowded, always worth it. Food, contests, music, car show, fireworks, carnival, and more.
When: July 17-19, 2026
Where: downtown Yarmouth
Admission: free, fees for food and drink purchases and some activities
• Maine Potato Blossom Festival, Fort Fairfield
What: Celebrating the Maine spud since 1937 with nine days of potato-centric fun, including a grand parade, road races, arts & crafts, fireworks, river races, mashed potato wrestling, and more.
When: July 11-19, 2026
Where: various locations in Fort Fairfield
Admission: free, fee for purchases and some activities
• The Kneading Conference & Artisan Bread Fair, Skowhegan
What: If you love bread and grains, you knead to attend this annual two-event fair and workshops promoting grain traditions from earth to the hearth. A must for bread bakers and/or lovers.
When: Kneading Conference July 22-246 2026; Bread Fair, July 25, 2026, 9 am-3 pm
Where: Kneading Conference, downtown Skowhegan; Bread Fair, Skowhegan Fairgrounds
Admission: Kneading Conference; $450 plus fees. Bread Fair $5, free entry for children and Maine Grain Alliance members
August
• Maine Lobster Festival, Rockland
What: The Jaws of Claws when it comes to Maine’s lobster festivals. Five days of food and fun, including arts and crafts, entertainment, steins and vines, a seafood cooking contest, an international crate race, a huge parade, races, competitions, children’s events, and more.
When: July 29-Aug. 2, 2026
Where: Harbor Park and downtown
Admission: General admission is free; some events are ticketed
• Frenchboro Lobster Dinner
What: Annual shindig with music, silent auction, the All the Road We Got footrace, and a lobster+ dinner. The ferry makes a special run from Bass Harbor on Mount Desert Island to the island for this event.
When: Aug. 1, 2026
Where: Frenchboro, access by ferry from Bass Harbor or private boat
Admission: free, $20-40 for dinner depending upon choices
• Winter Harbor Lobster Festival, Winter Harbor
What: Lobster, of course, but also a craft fair, parade, and lobster boat races. Visit website for details.
When: Aug. 7-8, 2026
Where: Winter Harbor
Admission: free to attend, pay for food
• Ploye Festival, Fort Kent
What: Celebrating the traditional buckwheat pancake with the world’s-largest ploye and ploye-eating and ploye-wrestling competitions.
When: info to come
Where:
Admission:
• Red Hot Dog Festival, Dexter
What: Maine snappahs! It’s a Maine thing. And yes, there’s a hot dog-eating competition.
When: Aug. 8, 10 am-5 pm, rain or shine
Where: downtown Dexter
Admission: free; pay for food and drinks
• Machias Wild Blueberry Festival, Machias
What: Feeling blue? This will cure ya. Wild times in Machias with blueberry everything, and 2026 marks its 50th year. Themed events include a musical, baking and eating contests, food vendors, and public breakfasts and suppers. Note: Other blueberry festivals are held in Wilton and Union.
When: Aug. 14-16, 2026
Where: downtown Machias
Admission: free; pay for food and drinks
• Chili-Fest, Wells
What: Hot enough for ya? Category winners at this International Chili Society-sanctioned event may qualify for the World Chili Championship Cook-Offs.
When: Oct. 22, 2026, 11am-3pm
Where: Wells Junior High School, Route 1
Admission: free; tasting kits $10, water $1
• Maine Salmon and Seafood Festival, Eastport
What: Celebrating seafood salmon with food, tours, and activities; always Labor Day weekend.
When: Sept. 5
Where: downtown Eastport
Admission: free; fees for food, drinks, and some activities
September
• Maine Cheese Festival, Pittsfield
What: Cheese it’s good to see you at the Maine Cheese Guild’s all-cheese-all-the-time annual wingding with music, plentiful cheese, and Maine food vendors
When: Sept. 13, 2026
Where: Manson Park
Admission: info to come
• Common Ground Fair, Unity
What: 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of this annual agricultural fair sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. Organic foods, progressive organizations, traditional fair fun without the carnival, sideshows, or usual fried fare. Always the third weekend in September.
When: September 25-27, 2026; fairgrounds open Friday and Saturday 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday 9 am-5 pm
Where: Common Ground Education Center
Admission: $20-25/ages 18-64, $17-20/ages 13-17 and 65+, free/ages 12 and younger* and people with disabilities and their attendants. Note: *Kids tix must be reserved; lower price is for tix purchased Aug. 1-Sept. 23.
• Maine Lobster Week
What: This week-long celebration held during the week coinciding with National Lobster Day (Sept. 25) highlights Maine’s favorite crustacean with lobster-focused specialties and menus at participating lobster shacks, food trucks, and restaurants, from fish shacks to fine-dining venues.
When: Info to come
Where:
Admission:
• Maine Lakes Brew Fest, Point Sebago
What: Maine’s biggest foodie event, with workshops, tastings, celebrity chefs, cook-offs, and more.
When: Info to come
Where
Admission:
October
• Maine’s Garlicfest, Skowhegan
What: Come for the food, music, crafts, and kids’ activities at this annual harvest festival highlighting the stinking rose.
When: Oct. 3-4
Where: Lake George Regional Park
Admission: $10/day or $15/both days; kids 12 and under are free
• Harvest on the Harbor, Portland
What: Maine’s biggest foodie event, with workshops, tastings, celebrity chefs, cook-offs, and more.
When: Info to come
Where
Admission:
November
• Maine Harvest Festival, Bangor
What: Celebrating farm-fresh fare, with 150 Maine farmers, food producers, and makers, including vintners, brewers, distillers, artisans, and crafters, with tastings, demos, displays, and more.
When: Nov. 21-22, 2026
Where: Cross Center
Admission: Free
[…] Love food? Check out Maine’s Best Food Festivals. […]
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